Darkness Lives
by Darth Mantis
Summary: Will Carre Shbri ally herself with the man who taught her everything, or the man who claims to be her father? rated just to be safe. please read and review!
1. Cute little Carre

Disclaimer: Okay I don't own star wars, sadly, and if something in my story contradicts something from Star Wars, oh well it's my story. I did make up the events and characters in this story with the help of the love of my life.

CH1

"Don't worry," The Jedi named Gerik assured Natara, tan, black-haired woman. Gerik, who stood six feet five inches above the ground, towered over Natara, and his apprentice, Sloan.

Sloan was about five feet eleven inches, and stood obediently in his master's shadow (both figuratively and literally). He was twenty-three, and soon, he too would become a Jedi. His messy blue hair with white highlights reminded everyone that his father had been Rios, a powerful Jedi, who died ten years ago.

Sloan and Gerik met with Natara deep in a jungle on a small, nearly deserted planet on the outer rim of the galaxy. Natara possessed something that would prove vital to the Jedi. Gerik and his padawan had come to retrieve it.

"The Jedi will take care of everything from here," Gerik continued. His words didn't comfort Natara.

Sloan and Natara shared one final embrace, then, looking into her eyes, he said, "It will be okay. I promise."

"I love you," Natara whispered.

"I love you too," he returned.

"Something's not right!" Sloan sensed not a second after he and his master boarded their ship.

"I sense it too," Gerik said as they ran out of their ship and into the jungle.

In a few months, Sloan would become a Jedi. Years from now, he would take on his own apprentice. At twenty-three, he still had much too live, much to do, endless possibilities, and seemingly impossible obstacles.

This would always be his worst memory.

In room 276 of the Coruscant Jedi Academy, Car-re Shbri's alarm blared nagging bleeps reminding her that the day had already started. Reluctantly, she reached out and slammed on the "off" button. She moaned. Responding to her alarm meant acknowledging the time. She threw down the covers and pushed off the bed. She opened her drawer. Not many Jedi wore the traditional Jedi robes these days, but Car-re's master did, and Car-re adored her master. So she wore the same.

She went into the bathroom, brushed her teeth, and tried to make her curly hair straight. Giving up, she looked in the mirror at the blonde streaks in her black hair and her green eyes. She examined them as though she thought they might change if she didn't. The inner iris of her eye had always been golden, which bothered Car-re, because it stood out against the green. She sighed and sat down on her bed.

She tried to meditate, but her stomach growled persistently, so she left her room and headed for the food court.

At the food court, Car-re sat at a table alone. Though she knew many people and got along with just about everybody, she had few friends her own age, though she never regretted it. One friend she did have was twenty-year-old padawan (five-year difference), named Maili. Always bubbly, social, and friends with everyone, people called her "Smiley Maili."

"Oh crap, Maili!" Car-re remembered that she was supposed to meet Maili before breakfast. Quickly she got up, left the food court, and ran down the hall. Gaining speed, she ran around corners, expertly dodging people until the next thing she felt was her butt on the ground.

A hand reached for hers and pulled her to her feet. She looked up to find a male padawan about her age. He had shaggy light brown hair. For a moment, their eyes met. His eyes were bright green-blue, and as she stared at him, she began to feel dizzy. After that, the boy avoided eye contact. Recovering herself, Car-re smiled. After an awkward silence, she spoke.

"My name is Car-re, what is yours?" She said nervously trying to appear friendly.

"Umm...Fe...hoo..." he returned. Seeing that he was nervous too made Car-re feel more comfortable. She giggled.

"Ummfehoo. Nice name."

"NO, no," Ummfehoo recovered, "My name is..."

"Ferren," a middle aged Jedi called from down the hall, "I told you to hurry."

"Ferren," he retold, "That is my name... Ferren. Ferren Ezhno."

Car-re smiled. "Very nice to meet you, Ferren Ezhno." Remembering Maili, she began to leave. "Maybe I'll see you around?" She tried her best to be flirtatious, but only felt foolish.

"Maybe..." He said as she left.

Car-re smiled. She turned to see him one last time, when she felt another collision. This time, Car-re didn't fall.

"Sorry," she said embarrasedly as she turned to see whom she bumped into this time.

In front of her stood Maili. Although, she was older than Car-re, she wasn't much taller. She moved her long, layered hair behind her shoulder, and brushed through her sideswept, violet bangs that contrasted greatly with her pale, sheet white skin, and complimented her red eyes.

"So, he's the reason you forgot about me," Maili teased as she smoothed out her black Jedi robes. "I thought you didn't need any man besides Sloan."

"Ick! Sloan's old!"

Maili argued, "Age is only a number, and you too are pretty close, even for master and padawan."

"That's disgusting! Sloan'smore likea big brother."

"Okay, okay. Whatever you say..."

Car-re rolled her eyes.

"So who was that guy?

"What guy?" A voice came from behind Car-re. She recognized the voice as her master's. He was thirty-eight, but he still had the mind and body of an eighteen year-old. "Morning, Car-re, Maili."

"Hey, Sloan," Car-re smiled.

"Car-re ditched me for a guy," Maili chimed.

Sloan laughed. "You're kidding. Car-re, I thought you weren't interested in guys. I thought your only love was the force."

"It is - I mean no it isn't. All I did was talk to him!"

"Well I have to go meet Master Gerik." Maili said as she stopped laughing at Car-re. "I'll see you later Car-re." She glanced at Sloan and flashed him a feminine smile. "Bye Sloan." Then she winked and left.

Car-re knew Maili secretly had feelings for Sloan, and she was okay with that as long as Maili didn't make a move. Sloan wasn't interested in girls. he told her that years ago.

Sloan had visited Car-re every night since she was a baby, but one night he didn't show. Car-re waited for him all night as she watched the other younglings play games. Periodically, one of the children would approach Car-re and invite her to join them. "No thanks," she told them, "S'oan is coming to pway wiff me."

When it came time for bed, and Sloan still hadn't arrived, Car-re began to cry and refused to sleep until Sloan came for her. Finally somebody called for him, and he came rushing through the door in a matter of minutes. He swept Car-re into his arms where she cried, "Why didn't you come. Are you mad at me? Did I do somethin' bad?

"No, sweetheart. I just wanted to spend time with my friend." Sloan indicated to a woman behind him.

"So, now that you have her, are you not gonna pway wiff me anymow? Are you gonna weave?"

"No, Car-re, I'll never leave you. Nobody could make me do that."


	2. Sloan's Sweetie

Disclaimer: Okay I don't own star wars, sadly, and if something in my story contradicts something from Star Wars, oh well it's my story. I did make up the events and characters in this story with the help of the love of my life.

CH2

"Room 324." Car-re said to herself looking unsurely at the note in her hand. She watched the room numbers as she passed them. "326, 325,324. Here it is..." She paused. All she had to do was leave the note there, then she could leave, but she hesitated, not that the adolescent was shy, but her stomach tightened as she looked at the door. Finally, she took a deep breath, left the note on the door and ran from the door as though she had just planted a bomb. When she turned a corner, she stopped to breathe and leaned against the wall. "Glad that's over with." she thought. "I wonder where Sloan is..."

"Completely unacceptable!"

"We're profoundly disappointed."

"Not only did she break into personal records, but her interest in this boy is extremely discomforting."

"How could you let this happen?" The council sat in raised seats, surrounding Sloan. "No doubt you influenced this."

"I had no idea she hacked into the system. How would she have done it?" He tried to defend Car-re and himself, feeling confused.

"I warn you do _not_ underestimate her. You know what she's capable of. I suggest you keep a better eye on her, or you will regret the day you became her master!"

"Yes, master." Sloan grumbled and left for his room.

As he walked down the hallway, he watched the lights on the ceiling pass by as their soft, bluish glow faded back and forth back and forth in his path. The council had always disliked him, ever since he became Car-re's master. He'd watched her since she was a youngling, paying sharp attention to the child. Sloan knew she was special the moment he saw her, but so did every other Jedi. However, nobody was as close to her as he was. In a way, he had immediately assumed the role of her "big brother." She idolized him, something that everyone else resented him for. When she was the appropriate age for apprenticeship, it seemed like just about every Jedi wanted to be her master, and a dispute broke out. The council eventually gave Sloan permission to teach her but only because of her extreme fondness for him. Now some of the Jedi who had competed for Car-re held seats in the council. Car-re was kept unaware of it all.

Sloan opened the door to his room, but he paused the doorway.

"Car-re, I know you're in here."

There was no reply.

"Car-re, come out. You can't surprise me." He cautiously entered his room, first looking to his bed, then his desk on the opposite wall. Sloan moved forward in the direction of his bathroom. He felt her presence shift to his door. He turned abruptly, but failed to find her. "Car-re..." He returned to the direction of his bathroom just seconds before Car-re pounced on his back wrapping her arms around his shoulder and her legs around his waist. He ran around trying to free himself from her hold eventually falling onto his bed where he wrestled her off and threw her to the floor with a thunk. By now they were both laughing.

Car-re crawled to his bed and knelt beside it resting her elbows on his mattress. "Where were you?" She asked in a playful but curious tone.

"It was a, uh, private meeting with the council." He confessed.

"About what?"

"That's the private part."

"So you're keeping secrets from me?"

Sloan smiled. "So who's the master: you or me?" And he began tickling her. She squealed and giggled. Crawling away, she pulled him onto the floor with her. She sat cross-legged and looked at him. They both smiled.

"Sloan, I had a dream. It was strange."

"I know, you never dream." He teased.

She laughed sarcastically. "Seriously. It's kinda been on my mind."

"Well, tell me." He leaned forward resting his chin on his fists.

Car-re planted her hands on the floor behind her and shifted her weight backward into her arms. "You were there. On a planet. I don't know what planet. Master Gerik was there, too. You were with a woman. A humanoid. Black hair, dark skin. Exotic features and bright green eyes. She gave you something - I don't know what. Then you and Master Gerick left, but you, turned around because something was wrong. That's where it ends. I've had this dream more than a few times this month."

Sloan's smiled had faded and he now wore a bothered expression. "I'm sure it's nothing." He stood up, and sat at the end of his bed. "It's getting late, you should go to bed."

Car-re crawled up next to him. "Sloan?"

"Mmhmm."

"Could you tell me about my mom?"

Sloan groaned. "I've told you a thousand times, Car-re."

Car-re pouted. "Please?"

Sloan smiled and put his arm around Car-re. She rested her head on his chest. "She was thirty-seven when you were born. A little taller than you. She had your smile," he said pressing against the dimple on the right side of her smile. She giggled. "And your curly hair? She had that too. She was beautiful, just like you. Everybody loved her. Adored her. She was a strong woman, physical and in spirit, though she never was a Jedi. She loved you. When you were a baby, your mom would never let go of you. She would hold you for hours and hours. And when she looked down at you, she'd start to cry. Then she'd turn to me, saying, "Isn't she beautiful?"

"What happened to her?" Car-re asked, though she knew the answer. She'd heard this story since she was a youngling.

"A little more than a year after you were born, she contracted a terrible virus. She spent the last days of her life taking care of you, and brought you to me. You were one of the youngest in The Academy. Master Gerick and I brought you here after she passed."

Looking up at Sloan, Car-re could see that he was no longer in the present. She had heard the story many times and recognized the sparkle in Sloan's eyes as the love he had for her mother. "What about my dad?"

Sloan awoke from his trance. He stared down at the young girl he loved so much, unsure of what to tell her. "You, uh, you have no father."

Car-re's face became distorted with confusion. "Then how was I made? I have to have a daddy somewhere? Have you ever looked for him?"

"Some questions... are better left unanswered, Car-re. It's getting late, you should get to bed." This was more of a command than a suggestion. He stood up, and she mirrored him. She wrapped her arms around him in a hug, burying her face in his chest.

"G'night, Sloan."

"Night, Car-re." Sloan replied, as he lifted her face and kissed her on the forehead. "Sweet dreams."


	3. Ferren's 'Friend'

CH3

Disclaimer: Okay I don't own star wars, sadly, and if something in my story contradicts something from Star Wars, oh well it's my story. I did make up the events and characters in this story with the help of the love of my life.

Car-re never rode the elevators. Not since she was five.

Sloan was taking Car-re down the elevator when it stopped midfloor. Car-re could hear the gears grinding and metal bending from the strain. She clung to Sloan's leg in fear. They were trapped in the elevator for only fifteen minutes, but to a small child, it seemed like years. Since then, she became a fan of stairs. "Too bad they're so far down the hall." she thought. "Too bad Sloan lives in room 348, right on the middle of the floor."

As Car-re rounded a corner, she saw an oncoming door creak open. Car-re stopped immediately and froze from her feet up, staring ahead at Ferren Ezhno.

"Oh uh... I... didn't know anybody was still up." He stammered.

"I am."

"I, uh... can see that."

Without thinking Car-re took a step backward, and began to turn, keeping her eyes on Ferren. "I... have to..."

"D-Don't go." Ferren said in more of a questioning tone. "I uh... I wanted to talk to you. I found your note." He walked closer to her, and she tried to hide the excitement that came from a sparkle of hope in her eyes, thinking, and "Say yes Oh please, say yes."

"I can't make it tomorrow night." Ferren openly confessed as the twinkle faded from Car-re's eyes.

"Oh." She responded in a disappointed tone.

"It's just that," Ferren stammered, trying to explain, "tomorrow, the council has decided to let me undergo the trials to become a Jedi Knight."

"Well...Congratulations..." Car-re began to walk past him. "Good luck."

"Some other time." Ferren blurted as Car-re walked off.

"What?" She turned.

"Maybe, we could do it some other time?" He caught up to her so that they were face to face.

The sparkle returned to Car-re's eyes. "Yah," she smiled, "maybe." The two padawans' eyes locked for a moment, and Car-re didn't know whether to be afraid or excited. Finally, she broke the lock. "I uh, have to get to bed."

"I'll walk you." He offered, and the two padawans walked toward the stairs twenty-four rooms away.

"So, how old are you?" Car-re questioned, genuinely curious about Ferren.

"16"

"And you're becoming a knight already? That's amazing."

"I guess. How 'bout you?"

"I'm fifteen. Almost sixteen. In another month." She answered. "How long have you been here?"

"I'm not quite sure. Too long." They both laughed. "Me and my brother have been here since we were little. He's a little older. He might know. And you?"

"Master Sloan brought me here when I was a baby." They reached the door to the stairway, Ferren opened the door for Car-re, then followed her in. "Who's your brother?"

"Do you know Reksez?"

"No."

"Neither do I." They both laughed. Car-re stopped midlaugh.

"Thanks for the compliment."

Ferren stared at her confused. "I didn't say anything."

"I know." She smiled mischievously. She sat down on a stair and stared at him, smiling. Then she spoke as though she were answering a question. "Yah, I can. I'm not sure where I learned it. I just can. I first did it when I was nine. It just happened. I have better control of it now, so watch your thoughts." She joked. He sat down next to her.

"I didn't know that was possible."

"It is." She smiled.

"I guess I'll have to be careful what I think."

"That's the problem with secrets." Car-re started. "People hide things so someone else can't find it. But if you have something that you want to hide, it's probably something somebody should know about." Ferren thought about this. He wasn't sure if Car-re was fishing for something, or just talking.

"Why do I need to look for answers when I can take them?" Car-re said reassuring him that she was doing the latter.

A quiet creak came from somewhere at the bottom of the stairs and caught both youth's attention. Car-re strained to see who was down there. If her and Ferren were caught after hours, she knew there would be big trouble. "Who's there?" She called.

No reply came, but she began to make out a faint red light. With a thud of footsteps, the light slowly moved closer until Car-re and Ferren recognized the light as a lightsaber. "Show yourself!" Car-re commanded, but the lightsaber-carrying shadow only moved quicker toward them. Car-re reached for her lightsaber, but Ferren had already ignited his, and darted toward the shadow. The red blade clashed with a bright orange blade and took the offensive while Ferren blocked its attacks. Finally, Ferren counter-attacked and slashed through the shadow. In an instant, the shadow, along with the saber, disappeared. Car-re ran down to meet Ferren. "What was it?" She asked.

"I'm not sure." he answered. "Let's get out of here." Ferren grabbed her hand and rushed her out of the stair well. After they exited, he continued running, refusing to slow down. Car-re did the same. The rooms started backwards, from 299. "Which one's yours?" he asked.

"276!"

They stopped at Car-re's door and Car-re bent down resting her hands on her knees while catching her breath. When she felt calmed, she stood up and faced Ferren, who had already regained his composure. "I think I'll take the elevator." he laughed awkwardly.

"Be careful." She warned.

"Well, I guess I should get to bed now…"

"Oh, right." Car-re almost wished he could stay with her. She wasn't sure she could handle the discomforting solitude she would be left to in her room. "Thanks for walking me." She said in order to stall.

Ferren smiled and took a step closer to Car-re. "Any time." He said warmly.

She looked up at his face and his eyes trapped hers. Suddenly, Car-re felt very safe, so safe that she became frightened. "Good luck tomorrow. May the force be with you." She managed to say feeling very embarrassed. And then Ferren did something that surprised even himself: he bent down and kissed Car-re on the cheek.

Though everybody was already asleep, and the halls were deserted, the world seemed as though it had just now screeched to a halt as if to ask, "What just happened?" Car-re asked herself the same thing, but couldn't bring herself to say a word.

Ferren stepped back looking awestruck with his jaw open and his cheeks flushed. He said nothing and quickly walked away leaving Car-re speechless at her door.

She wasn't sure what to think or do as she opened the door to her room. She'd never been kissed by a guy before._ Except Sloan,_ she thought, _but Sloan doesn't count. I wonder how he'd react if he knew what Ferren had done…_


	4. Talking Shadows

CH4

**I'm feeling discouraged. Nobody will review my story, so I'm considering the discontinuation of my story.**

**Disclaimer: I'm not George Lucas. He is the daddy of Star Wars. I'm just an obsessed fan.**

Car-re froze in her doorway. _Something's not right,_ she thought, and she ignited her lightsaber. A pale violet blade erupted from the hilt as Car-re cautiously entered.

"Who's in here?" Car-re yelled as she inched toward the nearest corner of her room to investigate a shadow. It was only a lamp by her bed. She heard a creak come from the opposite wall into her bathroom. The bathroom door was wide open, but darkness covered it. "Stop hiding and get out here now or I swear I'll…" but as Car-re spoke, a shadow emerged from the darkness. The light from the hallway draped over a tall young man wearing black jedi robes. He pulled down his hood to reveal short, black hair falling lightly over his tired, contemplating eyes that gleamed through his black bangs with a bright, yellow luminescence. He walked closer into the light of the doorway that cast shadows across his body which, even through his robes, Car-re could tell was muscular and toned all around.

Car-re's heart began to race with excitement. This man seemed to radiate a passion and power that made it difficult for Car-re to hold her own weight let alone her lightsaber. She deactivated it and switched on the lamp as she seated herself on her bed.

The man force pushed the door shut and faced her. "I've been waiting for you." He smiled. "I wasn't sure you'd ever come.

"How'd you get in here?" Car-re managed to spit out.

The man chuckled. "You should really lock the door before you leave. I was almost afraid someone would break in."

"Like you." She breathed.

"I've been waiting a long time to meet you, Car-re. My name is - "

"Tynan." She interrupted.

The man smiled. "So it's true. I'd heard you could do it, but I guess I had to see it for myself." He now stood in directly in front of her. Car-re had trouble keeping her guard up against him when her heart felt like it would pound out of her chest. "You don't remember me? It was a long time ago..."

"You always said hi to me in the hallway." She said as though she were reading the words from a book.

"So you do remember?"

"No, but you do."

The man called Tynan frowned. "I guess I should conceal my thoughts better."

"Good luck." Car-re said frankly. Feeling uncomfortable, she stood up, hoping to usher him out of her room. Instead, she found herself standing an inch away from him. She could feel his powerful presence pouring over her.

"You're even more beautiful than I remember you," He smiled at her. "but I have to leave now. I look forward to seeing you again." Tynan turned around and walked to her door. He stopped for a moment without looking back and said, "Don't trust Ferren." Then he shut the door, and once again, Car-re was alone and speechless.


	5. Trust

CH5

_Sloan, Natara, and Gerik ran full speed toward the ship. Behind them misfires exploded. Gerik lead the trio, and Natara struggled in the back. She was strong, but not strong enough. She lost speed gradually. Sloan knew she wouldn't make it, but he couldn't leave her. "We're almost there!" he yelled back to her, but when he turned around, nobody was behind him. He stopped and called for her. "Natara? Natara! NATARA!"_

As routine, Car-re's alarm clock screeched into her ear. It took her a second to remember she'd been dreaming. She rubbed her eyes as her vision focused, and she tried to separate her dreams from what really happened the night before, but her thoughts swirled around in the same confused circles. She stood up, walked into the bathroom and turned the knob in her shower. While she waited for the water to warm, she dropped her clothes to her ankles and stepped out of them.

Warm water droplets slid down her body hugging onto her feminine curves as she tried to rinse away her confusion. The last sensible thing Car-re could remember was saying goodnight to Sloan. The rest of her night seemed so unbelievably real that she thought she might have dreamt the whole thing._ It's doubtful that anybody would have been in my room last night. _She thought. _No, Tynan's definitely not real. I must have fallen asleep after Ferren dropped me off. _That brought her to her next question. Did Ferren really kiss her? When was it she fell asleep? Did she even see Ferren last night? Enough steam had filled the shower that she could barely see through the clouded air to find the soap. My head feels just as clouded, she thought.

Every other day, Car-re met with Master Gerik. These meetings were based solely on meditation. Sloan was the best master Car-re could wish for, but Sloan was much more skilled with a lightsaber than he was with mental strength. Like any jedi, he was strong in the force, but nowhere near as strong as Car-re. Car-re's strongpoint was her clairvoyance, and since this wasn't Sloan's forte, Master Gerik offered to teach her in this area.

Car-re liked Master Gerick, he had been Sloan's master when he was young, which meant that he was probably close to sixty years old. But the tall, heavy-built master was not all human, and therefore aged slower than a human. He had no wrinkles and his body was still as strong as it had always been. Then only hint of aging on Gerik were the few gray hairs scattered into his thick, black mane of hair.

The hallway Car-re walked down grew strangely crowded in a matter of minutes. Despising clutter, Car-re stared at her feet as she walked. She didn't worry about where she went. The force guided her away from a collision.

Without reason, Car-re felt the need to look up. She lifted her face, and her eyes immediately found their focus point. He saw her too. Somehow, they'd found one another from opposite sides of the hall. Feeling strangely confident, Car-re flashed a smile and tilted her head in a gesture to her right. She swam around the corner into a less crowded hallway. He followed and caught up to her. She needed to talk to him, but she couldn't do it here. Frantically, she opened the door to a maitenence closet conveniently nearby. The room was dimly lit, dusty and crowded with boxes, but there was enough room for them to stand without breathing down one another's necks. _Why then,_ she asked herself_, do I feel so hot?_

He stood in front of the closed door facing her and she felt her palms begin to sweat and her heart begin to twitterpate. Car-re took in a deep breath, and with one look at the sparkle in his warm, sea-green eyes, she knew she really had seen him last night. She knew she hadn't dreamt what he did. She knew he was thinking about it.

"Ferren..." She began, but for lack of words, she couldn't continue. She blinked as her eyes began to blur and the room tilted back and forth. Car-re felt hot, dizzy, confused. She breathed deeply and felt the force circulating through her, but she felt as though the steam that filled her shower this morning had floated into her mind and her thinking was now more cloudy than this morning or ever before. Ferren must have seen how faint she felt, because he pulled her to him by the hand and slid his fingers up her bare arms to her shoulder where he held her for fear that she might fall. Her heart drummed hard against her chest from feeling his strong firm hands on her skin. Car-re lost all sense of thought or fear or conscience. She lifted herself on her tiptoes and felt her lips meet his. Electricity seemed to flow through his warm, lushious lips into her body where her heart slammed full speed against her. Instinctly, she slid her hands around the back of his head running them through Ferren's soft, brown hair. His arms traveled around the back of her shoulders and traced her arched spine down to her lower back where he pulled her body close to his.

Their lips parted and Ferren started warmly into Car-re's eyes. She couldn't move as she lost herself in the sea of his eyes. She felt uncomfortable. After years of practice and sneaking into the minds of other people. After welcoming herself into people's deep and darkest parts of their souls, she knew Ferren could see inside her. She saw his eyes dig into her spirit reaching every corner in her mind. She felt him exploring her observing the details of her soul. She felt vulnerable, as though he'd seen her naked. She couldn't hide from his intense gaze, couldn't close the doors he opened. She'd allowed him into her mind but she couldn't enter his. Car-re was too afraid to open up and see what he saw. Quietly she waited wondering what he thought of her. Had he seen everything? Would he reject her now that he knew her imperfect soul?

In fear, a tear glossed Car-re's eye and she tried to supress it behind her eyelids. But it rolled out and danced down her cheek and slid under her nose down to her lips.

Seeing her fear, Ferren smiled reassuringly. "Please don't cry." He said as he wiped the streak away from her face and kissed the tear off her lips. "You can trust me. I won't hurt you."

Caution pulled at her. She'd given Ferren the power to destroy her. Could she ever feel safe knowing she was defenseless against him should he ever betray her? Ferren must have sensed her doubt. He pulled her head to his chest and ran his fingers under her hair across the base of her neck. His other arm clung to her waist.

As Car-re rested in his arms, comfort rose into her. She may have opened the gates of her heart to him, but she didn't have to worry. Ferren would guard her open heart. Ferren would protect her. As long as she had him, she'd never be afraid again.

Ferren looked down at the peaceful woman he held tightly and cherished her. She'd only met him yesterday, but he'd known her for years. He'd see her in the food court, or in passing, and his heart would stop for her. He'd never spoken to her but secretly he wished he could. There was a time when attachment of any kind was forbidden for a jedi. Centuries later, what was described as love could finally be allowed, but few jedi chose to marry because the complications of supporting a family. For a padawan, however, no attachment beside the love of one's family was allowed. No padawan could fall in love until he or she learned to control his or her emotions. Now, the beautiful girl he'd longed for clung to him. Ferren felt a sense of pride in knowing that she trusted him. And tomorrow, he would be a jedi. He could tell her how he felt about her. He could tell her everything. He could say he loved her. It didn't matter that she couldn't repeat the words back to him. Ferren would wait for her. He would wait until she too could share her feelings with him. For now, it was enough knowing she trusted him.


	6. submersion

**Disclaimer: i don't own Star Wars.**

**AN: so if there's something wrong with my story, TELL ME! Instead of saying nothing, say, "Wow, Darth Mantis, that story sucked 'cause (fill in the blank)."**

Ch 6

Spending her whole life in the cool, comfortless metropolis that was Coruscant, Car-re's mind whirled at her new surroundings. Standing on top of a rocky plateau, she looked down and out at amber, grassy feilds; decorated with sagebrush, and flowing unphased by the inconsistency of the earth; that elevated and descended until the hills merged into a golden horizon.

Car-re inhaled a crisp, sweet breath of life that revealed how polluted and murky her home planet was. Cottony, gray clouds danced in the sky, and sprinkled rejuvination in it's purest watery form over the landscape. Cool, fresh drops of rain drizzled over Car-re's brow, down the bridge of her nose and into the crevice of her pale-red lips. She parted them with her tongue and tasted the candied droplets.

Sliding herself down the damp rocks and pebbles, Car-re found a narrow, level pathway winding around the hills. She followed the path, feeling privileged to experience this peaceful scene until she heard a shout from behind her.

"Run! Hurry!" The voice bellowed. Car-re turned seeing a large, but distant figure dashing toward her. Somewhere behind him, a blaster pistol fired. In a quick pivot, Car-re propelled herself forward with all the speed her legs could muster, but Car-re couldn't focus her thoughts well enough to use the force and run to her full potential.

Car-re, began experiencing a mysterious resistence pull her legs firmly to the ground. Under the pulling force, her knees buckled and she collided with the moist dirt. Seeing the distance between her and her pursuer diminishing, Car-re fell into a state of panic. Light began to fade, and a dancing shadow clawed at her mind. It frollicked across her arms and legs and spread over her chest pinning her to the ground. She screamed, but the darkness filled her lungs and separated her mind from the air. The shadow filled into her eyes, swallowing her visible world, and leaving her despairingly alone.

"Car-re!" The voice aquired a concerning tone. "Car-re, open your eyes!"

Car-re screamed in fear knowing that she failed. She felt cold, strong hands grasping at her, and she flung her arms blindly in defense.

"Car-re!" A female voice rang out, but Car-re had fallen into the darkness to recognize her. Nothing was familiar. No voice was friendly.

"Car!" A third voice sounded. The voice echoed in the frightened girl's mind. It grabbed her hand firmly and pulled her upward. She swam with the voice, hoping desperately she would break above the surface of the darkness and breathe air once again. "Car-re." The voice yelled again. This time, it found it's place in Car-re's mind, and she knew who was calling her. "Sloan!" She thought but, no words formed on her lips.

Consciousness slowly returned to her, and the light of the world shone into her eyes, revealing Sloan, Maili and Master Gerik holding her shaking body down. She blinked in awakening and relaxed her body in relief. Slowly she inhaled, but before she could breathe out a word, an image formed in her mind.

The image was sharp, but the light was to dim for her to make out any faces. She focused her mind and soon the light fell down on one man's face.

"Ferren!" Car-re said effortlessly. "Where's Ferren?" She asked the three around her.

Her friends exchanged confused glances. Impatiently, Car-re flung her body upward.

"Car-re calm down." Sloan demanded and grabbed her shoulder.

Tears formed in Car-re's eyes. "I have to find Ferren." She sobbed. "I have to-" She broke off in sobs. Sloan pulled her into his arms, and she cried on his chest.


End file.
